NASHVILLE – Sitting back, patiently waiting your turn to show your coaches what you can do has never been an easy thing for athletes. Being confident in your abilities, but not getting to see much action as a younger player can be a difficult wait.But once a player has an opportunity, it would be advantageous to capitalize on that. That is precisely what Vanderbilt safety Davin Chandler has done.Chandler only saw action in one game for Vanderbilt in 2025 as a redshirt freshman. It was in the win over Georgia State where the Commodores beat the Panthers 70-21. Though he was on the field in that game, he did not record a tackle or another defensive statistic.Fast forward to this year and Chandler has become one of the more talked about players at Vanderbilt’s fall camp through one week of practice. It feels like every practice that Chandler has been making at least one memorable play and his coaches would agree with that sentiment.It was not by overnight that Chandler has been able to put on a good showing for his teammates and coaches, though. It has been a result of the preparation he has put in and perhaps most importantly, the players he has been able to learn from.While Chandler would have preferred to see more playing time last season, he was in a fortunate situation to be in a position room with CJ Heard, Marlen Sewell and Dontae Carter. From there, Chandler was able to soak information up like a sponge.“I just learned different formations and I’m convinced that learning from Marlo last year, DC [Carter], CJ, that really helped me for this upcoming season. Learning from those guys that have been out there and done that, it’s just a great experience,” Chandler said after Vanderbilt’s sixth day of fall camp Tuesday.This year, Chandler has another veteran safety he has been learning from: Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones. Jones led the ACC in interceptions with six last season. Now in the same position room as him, Chandler has been gaining knowledge from Jones on coverage techniques within different formations.Chandler has been one of those players that seems to enjoy the process of improving his personal game and doing what he can to earn his role on this year’s roster. He has spent plenty of time in the film room and based on observations from camp, it looks to be paying off by being in the right spots on defense oftentimes.Though he redshirted last season, Vanderbilt safeties coach Melvin Rice feels like his sophomore safety has benefitted from it. Live reps are gold, but so is the chance to sit back and observe when the time calls for it.“He had to redshirt last year and that was tough for any freshman to go through that. But he did a good job of learning from that experience. And he can play a lot of positions and position effects ability,” Rice said. “He just makes a play every practice.”The learning for Chandler has not stopped either. When he has been on the field in camp thus far, he is still watching the veterans he is now practicing beside and taking in all the information that he can.There is a lot of time left before the week leading up to the kickoff of the 2026 season, but Chandler feels that his camp has been going well.“I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m just out there playing with my guys DC, Ricardo. Just learning from the guys because those guys are experienced. So I’m just out there trying to learn. But overall, I’m doing good,” Chandler said on his personal camp assessment.Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow